17 Unique Quotes From Young Travelers That’ll Make You Want To Pack Up And Go

When I chat up travelers and catch their casual, unmeditated, sincere phrases depicting their experiences, words re-assert their power. It’s from the heart. Thank you to the persons who share their experiences, and to those who continue to submit their thoughts. Together, we “break off” more than a “break” on our adventures abroad.

1. “[Despite the language barrier,] there’s more unity. No matter where you are from, you experience the music together. It’s bigger than yourself.”

– Kimmie Connor, 21, on Tomorrowland, and the difference between domestic and international music festivals.

2. “What we lack in pay, we make up for in lifestyle.”

– Jeremy Casebeer, 25, on taking time to backpack and work as a professional volleyball player before settling into a more permanent career.

3. “Why do I have to be German or Ukrainian? You’re a person. I’m a person. We put too much emphasis on nationality.” -

4. “Maybe today, I’m feeling Australian. I haven’t seen enough of the world to know I’m German.”

-Jasimine & Anne, Twins, 19, from Munich on working as Au Pairs abroad, and wandering the the Oceania.

5. “My world gets bigger everyday. The more I see, the more I learn is out there.”

– Gerrell Johnson, 25, on getting out of of the streets of South Central L.A., studying abroad in Barcelona, seeing Europe, and globe-trotting Thailand.

11. “Just that I shouldn’t give up something so important to me for a dance floor make-out [on what it comes down to in long-distances relationships/ traveling with a boyfriend at home].”

12. “The human spirit was meant to fly into the horizon. Meant to see sunrises from different latitudes. Meant to see sunsets from different longitudes. It’s the natural curiosity in us. We’re all birds at heart.”

– Brian LaFaille, 24, on his professional ambitions to connect travelers online.

13. “The effect of traveling isn’t instantaneous, but one day you wake up and realize your perspective has altered entirely”

– Kayla, 23, on working in Barcelona as an Au Pair, switching to TELF, and overcoming obstacles to travel before continuing her career in comparative literature.

14. “I got to the point where I was willing to acknowledge that I may know a lot about where I’m from, but I knew literally nothing about where I was. I opened up to the possibility that people just did things differently, and that was okay.”

– Michael Herlihy, 26, on his career in avionics traveling through the Middle East, South East Asia, and Europe.

15. “Experiencing different worlds is the best way I can explore a real purpose.”

– Megan Kenson, 23, on returning from SE Asia and making the decision to move to London.

16. “Traveling allows you to bypass the window, and go straight through the front door!”

– Jake Marsh, 27, on working abroad, re-locating, and doing it again!

17. “I never understood the difference between ‘want’ and ‘need’ until I traveled the world.”